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- Chapter 364 All imperialism is a paper tiger
In 1845, Britain established a concession to control the estuary of the Yangtze River, the main artery in central China, and gained an economic monopoly in central and southern China. After the Second Opium War, the Treaty of Tianjin and the Treaty of Beijing removed the provisions and opened seven more ports. , allowing the British to station consuls at these ports, and the British could travel freely in mainland China, and British ships could sail freely in the Yangtze River. Starting with these two treaties, they set a precedent for a series of unequal treaties in the future. British ships in China China's trade and diplomatic privileges continued to develop and increase, causing other countries to follow suit, leading to the practice of "equal benefit sharing". Since then, China has been restricted by unequal treaties. //www.//Rainbow*Literature£¤Xue%
Among the many inland rivers in China, the Yangtze River has a wide surface and deep channels. The upper reaches are the land of abundance in Sichuan, the middle reaches are the land of fish and rice in Huguang, and the lower reaches are a series of prosperous commercial ports in Anqing, Wuhu, Nanjing, and Zhenjiang. For hundreds of years, this place has been China's primary financial center. The Yangtze River Basin naturally became the top priority for the great powers to gain rights in China. After the Treaty of Tianjin, based on the principle of "equal interests", France, Russia, the United States and other countries also followed in the footsteps of the United Kingdom and obtained rights along the coast. The power of the Yangtze River to engage in trade.
More importantly than trade privileges, the Treaty of Tianjin also stipulates that British warships have the freedom to enter any port within Chinese territory when they are invincible and when pursuing pirates. According to the principle of "equal interests", this clause also It became a right shared by other great powers. From then on, Western countries were able to legitimately send warships to patrol the river in the name of "protecting overseas residents" and "maintaining consular rights and interests."
From 1842, when British warships appeared in the Yangtze River, to 1854, when the gunboats of the U.S. Navy's Asia Squadron entered the Yangtze River for the first time. Before the Sino-Japanese War, although warships could cruise in China's inland river ports, ships could also go to Vladivostok. , Manila, Nagasaki, Saigon, and Singapore were patrolled. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1891-1891, the charade of the Westernization Movement was finally blown away. The Western powers understood the true nature of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. After the Xinchou Peace Treaty, China also measured China's material resources. It has been completely reduced to a third-class country that is at the mercy of others. Its international status is even inferior to that of the banana republics in the Americas, and the limited sovereignty that it originally had has been completely lost.
In the Huangpu River, the free entry and exit of various warships is a symbol of the country's loss of sovereignty, especially because all warships can enter and exit at will, but the reason why ships need consular missions from various countries to enter the Huangpu River, and they The reason is very simple.
"Tongxin", the protected cruiser that captured its own Japanese navy, had just sailed into the Huangpu River from Wusongkou. When it was about to approach the climax, it was blocked by an inland river gunboat with a tonnage of only five or six hundred tons.
¡°Captain, the British gunboat HMS Willy has signaled, asking our ship to wait!¡±
In the bridge of the "Tongxin", Zhang Yang, the first mate of the naval warfare team who had just graduated from the Merchant Marine School two months ago, reported to the captain standing in front, and Xiao Baoheng had already seen the "Willy" issue The semaphore of these people was taught by him.
"Wait, what are you waiting for!"
A burst of dissatisfied shouts suddenly came from the bridge. The shouts were all made by "the group of army heroes in white uniforms" in the Navy Department. Before Xiao Baoheng, the captain, could respond, Song Guoqiang took a step forward and faced him. Said to the captain.
"Sir, this is China's inland river. Our ship should immediately respond to the "Willy" and tell him to get out of there. Otherwise, we will see the truth under the cannon!"
His words made Xiao Baoheng frown. Compared with the gentlemen of the Navy, these "Army Gentlemen" who were looked down upon by the Navy had a temper that was like gunpowder. In their eyes, what was the British Empire? What about the Royal Navy? Their ideas are very simple and simple.
"Since we are fighting, we must try to win!"
Because of this, they have no fear of the maritime powers. If it were just out of rationality, Xiao Baoheng would order to send a semaphore signal to negotiate with the British, but he understood that if he gave this order, then on this warship In front of these landlubbers, he could never raise his head.
"Reply to Willy, the Huangpu River is an inland river of our country, and our Chinese warships have the right to enter any port or river in China. If they insist on blocking our ship, our ship will do whatever it takes to safeguard the country's rights and interests!"
After giving this order, Xiao Baoheng closed his eyes again and ordered coldly.
"All crew members are on combat readiness!"
"Damn, the Chinese are crazy!"
Hundreds of meters apart, the sound of the warship's bell ringing in the air caused Captain Jason of the "Willy" to curse and hurriedly speak to the messenger next to him.
"Contact the consulate immediately, the ship is determined to enter the Huangpu River! Its warship has entered combat readiness"
When Captain Jason issued this order,??Looking in surprise at the protective cruiser flying the Chinese flag, it was slowly heading towards him, with no intention of stopping. Facing the getting closer and closer, the "Tongxin", although there was no further response , but he could only choose to reverse the car.
"Look! Look on the river!"
When the "Tongxin" pressed forward step by step and forced the "Willy" back, the people in Shiliyangchang also saw the scene on the river. People rushed to the river one after another and looked at the retreat with surprised eyes. The two warships that entered were one large and one small, one flying the British flag and the other flying the Chinese five-color flag.
They had never seen this scene before, and it seemed that the last time they saw a ship in the Huangpu River was a few years ago. The ship was often anchored at Wusongkou and rarely sailed into the Huangpu River.
"Sir, three warships are coming for reinforcements! One from the United Kingdom and two from the United States!"
¡°The response is quite fast!¡±
After muttering to himself, Xiao Baoheng continued to order.
"Maintain the current speed, send out the semaphore signal again, and tell them that this is an inland river in China!"
In fact, for Xiao Baoheng, he clearly knows that no matter what kind of disputes occur in the Huangpu River, it will not trigger a war. This is the consensus reached by the fleets of various countries in China. Without the consent of the entire consular group, all warships will never Will fire, and more importantly, the consular corps will never agree to fire at this sensitive time. Therefore, he would rather take a gamble at this time.
If being educated at the Etajima Naval War School taught him anything, it is that naval warfare is like gambling. Without the self-knowledge of the winner, there will be no fact of victory. Those who consider themselves losers can never become real winners.
""
In the British Consulate, Frances did not make any sound for a long time after receiving the message from the gunboat "Willy". It was the Beijing Embassy that gave him the message to prevent the cruiser "Tongxin" from entering the Huangpu River. Suggestion, that may be an option to prevent Li Zicheng from leaving the country.
If it were in the past, any other ship, let alone a gunboat sent to stop them, Falaisi did not even doubt that it only took one officer to disarm them. The reason is very simple. For the naval personnel of any country In terms of safety, the "Willy" may not be powerful, but the Union Jack flag it flies will remind them of what they are about to face. What they are about to face is the British Empire and the Royal Navy of the British Empire.
But now, the "Tongxin" not only ignored their obstruction, but even made a gesture of war. Are you kidding me to start a war? The U.S. and French gunboats in the Huangpu River are just out of courtesy and are working with the "Willy" to stop the "Tongxin". But if the two sides really exchange fire, the U.S. and French gunboats will be there. They would evacuate as soon as possible so that they would not wade into this pool of troubled waters. Even Minister Zhu Erdian in Beijing would not approve of any extraneous measures after learning the news, and London was also unwilling to send a letter to promote the establishment of the base. .
If deterrence fails to work, then
In the middle of the Huangpu River, as more and more people crowded to the riverside and looked nervously at the four warships confronting each other on the river, just as they were sweating about the "Tongxin", they suddenly saw the beautiful hanging The warships with the French and French flags evacuated first, and less than half an hour later, the "Willy" that provoked the incident also took the initiative to give way to the waterway, and even played the flag signal "Welcome to Japan".
"Retreat! The British warships have withdrawn!"
On the Bund, amid the cheers of countless people, Victor? Sassoon, a former captain of the British Army Air Force who had just returned to Japan from England, was leaning on crutches and looking at the slowly evacuating "Willy". His whole expression changed slightly, and then he sighed again.
"The authority that the British Empire built in China in the seventies has disappeared with the active retreat of the "Willy"!"
Looking at the cruiser slowly heading towards the dock, Victor? Sassoon suddenly had the illusion that not only Britain had disappeared, but also Sassoon's foreign trade. The era of Sassoon's foreign trade might also be coming to an end!
Why do you have this feeling, Victor, who knows the history of the Sassoon family? Sassoon knew that for this country, the wealth of the Sassoon family was stained with too much evil. If this country was really strong, then they would one day liquidate those foreigners, just like the Japanese. The squeeze with government support has caused countless foreign companies that once dominated Japan to close down.
"We must convince uncle"
Looking at that warship, Victor? Sassoon thought to himself, is the new Sassoon his uncle Jacob? Elias? Sassoon's property, but he had no heirs to inherit it. Because of this, as his designated heir, Victor? Sassoon has always regarded the New Sassoon Company as his wealth.Produce,
But now, the changes in front of him made him realize that if Sassoon wanted to gain a foothold in this country, it must make changes. Although he didn't know where to start, he knew that if no changes were made, If so, Sassoon & Co. will definitely be eliminated by China.
If Sassoon still views this country from the old perspective, then Sassoon will have no future in this rising country. In the process of the rise of a country, there is always unimaginable wealth, and Sassoon Company must seize this opportunity.
"Welcome to**!"
Lying on the hospital bed, listening to Zhang Yilin's report, when he heard this sentence, Li Zicheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled, and then said in a loud voice.
¡°All imperialism is a paper tiger!¡±
After saying these words with certainty, he deliberately emphasized it.
"Facts have proven this. When dealing with foreign powers, we must adopt a tough policy. Only in this way will they care about our voice!"
Although he was wearing a hospital gown, Li Zicheng had a hint of a "wounded" look on his body. The wound that was "repaired" by surgery has now been removed, and the so-called wound has healed. The reason why he still needs to be regarded as a wounded person , the reason is very simple, Yuan Shikai has not made concessions yet.
¡°For weak and small countries, appropriate toughness can play a certain role, but of course we must recognize the form!¡±
When talking about the toughness of weak countries, Li Zicheng¡¯s mind was filled with the famous ¡°rogue state¡± North Korea. North Korea used its seemingly tough foreign policy to blackmail China, the United States and other countries. In the next period of time, China does not need to turn itself into a "rogue". All it needs is a rogue diplomatic strategy. It will use rogue diplomatic strategies to test and challenge the bottom lines of the great powers. After it shows strong When it rebounds, make concessions at the right time.
Of course, behind this temptation, there must be the backing of the country's strength. Otherwise, this rogue strategy will eventually become a joke and even bring unimaginable disasters to the country. Therefore, in the final analysis, this strategy It just shows that China is different now from the past, but in essence, what a country needs is strength.
In this era of strength diplomacy, strength is the foundation for a country to stand in the world.
"However, everything is supported by strength. Without our performance in Jiangsu and Jiao'ao, those great powers would never look at us seriously. Therefore, now is the most favorable time to carry out diplomacy, with a great victory With the power of the emperor, rewriting the new covenant is what we should do, but"
Shaking his head and sighing, Li Zicheng seemed to be lamenting his fate. If Yuan Shikai really handed over power to him, he might have started to preside over government affairs in the capital by now, and at that time he could take advantage of the remaining power of the victory and the great powers of various countries. When Europe was caught in the war, he revised the new treaty and removed all the clauses that were not conducive to China. But now, he can only "play wounded" here in exchange for Yuan Shikai's compromise and concessions.
"With a little help, Yuan Shikai will soon make some real concessions!"
At this time, Zhang Yilin looked extremely confident.
"Look at the newspapers in recent times. All newspapers point the finger at Yuan Shikai without a doubt. People have long identified Yuan Shikai as the mastermind behind the scenes. And Yuan Shikai wants to prove his innocence. In addition to the telegram from the Law Enforcement Department to protect you, There is no other evidence, and if he wants to prove that he is not afraid of you coming to the capital to seize power, then he can only show a few departments that can actually do things!"
Zhang Yilin's words were actually what Li Zicheng had said earlier. However, Zhang Yilin was still skeptical at first, but now with the heated public opinion, especially the fierce response from people from all walks of life in the country, it has exceeded his imagination. , even among the Beiyang groups, there are signs of division due to this incident. Now every day, telegrams are received from the capital. Those telegrams are all from the upper class of Beiyang. The content of the telegram is very simple. It is from Yuan Shikai. trend.
Yuan Shikai, an old and mature man, naturally knew about all this. It was precisely because of this that he did not order the troops to mobilize while facing accusations like the "Second People's Rebellion". Not only did the Central Army fail to mobilize, but even Anhui, The Central Army in Hubei and Jiangsu also invited the Jiangsu Army to "visit".
Listening to Zhang Yilin's story, Li Zicheng thought with a gloomy expression. No matter now or in the future, in the dirtiest game in the world, politics, there are always some bottom lines that need to be observed, such as using assassination to solve the problem. Competitors' methods are simply unacceptable.
First, Song Jiaoren of Min Er was assassinated, and then he was attacked. Although Yuan Shikai was innocent in both incidents, his innocence was nothing more than "Rumors stop with the wise." Regarding the Song Jiaoren case, many people in the Beiyang system felt that it was not a big deal and that it would be better if he died.
But the same thing happened to him, but it made the characters in the Beiyang Group feel in danger one by one. Assassination was a special method adopted when necessary, but if that method became a normal thing, Beiyang Everyone in the group needs to worry about their own fate, especially those who are estranged from Yuan Shikai. The Song case is an exception, but when it comes to him, "assassination" has become a habit.
Because those people were not sure whether Yuan Shikai would solve the problem quickly, they chose to kill people, the simplest way to solve the problem. So in this situation involving their own safety, they naturally make the choice that is most beneficial to them, and that is to stand on their own side.
But their choice will only make Yuan Shikai see the current situation clearly and make the most correct choice. What is the most correct choice?
Thinking secretly in his heart, Li Zicheng frowned. In fact, this was a gamble. The bet was that everyone in the Beiyang group was in danger, and the bet was that Yuan Shikai would definitely make a compromise. Only in this way can you become the real winner in this event.
"Did Yuan Shikai send a special envoy?"
Suddenly, Li Zicheng asked back, many political transactions require Yuan Shikai to send a special envoy before the outcome can be agreed upon. If Yuan Shikai does not send a special envoy, the matter will not end in one day, and if this matter is delayed for a long time, it will never be done to him. What is beneficial becomes detrimental to oneself.
Procrastination will bring about change!
¡°Jing Lue Envoy, the President has not yet decided who is more suitable to be the special envoy, so the candidate for the special envoy has not been decided yet!¡±
"oh¡¡"
With a slight response, Li Zicheng asked again.
"Are you boarding the ship this afternoon? Please ask Li Siqin to board the ship then. I have something for him to do!"
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